Director says 'Transformers: Dark of the Moon' is back on track

Monday

Sep 26, 2011 at 12:01 AMSep 26, 2011 at 11:45 PM

Producer Steven Spielberg and director Michael Bay can now look upon the “Transformers” franchise as their billion-dollar baby.

“Transformers: Dark of the Moon” (Paramount; $44.99, Blu-ray Disc; $29.99, DVD; to be released Friday) enjoyed a summer global gross of $1.1 billion, a total that would no doubt make Optimus Prime’s head spin.

That puts the PG-13 action fantasy, which is based on the Hasbro toy line, far ahead of the original “Transformers” (2007) and its follow-up, “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen,” which globally grossed $709.7 million and $836.3 million, respectively.

Hammer favorite Freddie Francis, who also directed the psychological thrillers “Paranoiac” (1963) and “Nightmare” (1964) for the legendary studio, used his artistic skills for “Hysteria,” In the unrated psychological thriller, a man is linked to a murder after he emerges from an accident with no memory.

With the G-rated “Moon Zero Two,” director Roy Ward Baker (“Dr. Jekyll & Sister Hyde”) takes a broader approach. In this 2021-set sci-fi tale, which benefits from some early visual effects, some criminals hijack a small asteroid made of sapphire.

Both remastered titles are presented in widescreen.

Fox World Cinema, a new Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment label, is designed to showcase diverse titles (Fox; $29.99 each, DVD; to be released Tuesday) from around the globe.

The series begins with director Michele Placido’s “Angel of Evil” (Italy), director Rohan Sippy’s “Dum Maaro Dum” (India) and the one-named Wuershan’s “The Butcher, the Chef and the Swordsman” (China).

MOVIES

“Basket Case” (Image; $17.99, Blu-ray Disc; to be released Tuesday) with Frank Henenlotter directing a low-budget horror favorite about a man who checks into a flea-bag Times Square hotel and carries a basket that contains something alive. The cult favorite contains numerous extras, including Henenlotter commentary, outtakes, behind-the-scenes footage, two theatrical trailers and a 2001 video short (“In Search of the Hotel Broslin”).

“Ben-Hur: 50th Anniversary Ultimate Collector’s Edition” (Warner; $49.99, five-disc DVD; $64.99, three-disc Blu-ray; $20.99, two-disc anniversary DVD edition; to be released Tuesday) with Charlton Heston in a $1 million restoration of the biblical favorite that won 11 Oscars, including best picture, actor and director (William Wyler). The numerous extras on the collector’s edition include a new high-def documentary about Heston’s filming experiences with previously unseen family footage. Each set is limited and numbered.

“The Blood Trilogy” (Image; $17.99, Blu-ray Disc; to be released Tuesday) with three high-def pressings of the Herschell Gordon Lewis vintage gore hits “Blood Feast” (1963), “Two Thousand Maniacs” (1964) and “Color Me Blood Red” (1965). The extras include commentaries by Lewis and producer David Friedman, outtakes and the theatrical trailers for all three films.

“Miss Nobody” (Inception Media; $26.99, DVD; to be released Tuesday) with Kathy Baker, Vivica A. Fox and Brandon Routh in an R-rated romantic comedy about an unlucky-in-love single who lives at home with her eccentric mother, becomes a junior executive and falls for a detective investigating a murder at her company.

“The Stool Pigeon” (Well Go USA; $24.99, DVD; $29.99, Blu-ray + DVD combo pack; to be released Tuesday) with Nicholas Tse in an unrated Asian import about an ex-convict trying to rescue his sister from life as a prostitute.

“Viva Riva!” (Music Box; $29.99, DVD; to be released Tuesday) with Djo Tunda Wa Munga directing an R-rated crime picture about a small-time hood who returns to his hometown in the Congo and sets in motion acts of vengeance, desire and brutality.

DOCUMENTARY

“Herschell Gordon Lewis: The Godfather of Gore” (Image; $14.99, DVD; to be released Tuesday) with the still-controversial director discussing his gory 1960s’ exploitation titles such as “Color Me Blood Red,” “Blood Feast” and “Two Thousand Maniacs.” The extras include more than an hour of deleted scenes, a Lewis trailer reel and a rare Lewis short (“Hot Night at the Go-Go Lounge!”).

COMEDY

“Whitney Cummings: Money Shot” (Image; $14.99, DVD; now available) with the star of the new NBC series “Whitney” doing her stand-up routine in which she discusses the differences between men and women and explains how to behave in relationships.

TELEVISION

“Army Wives: The Complete Fifth Season” (ABC; $39.99, DVD; to be released Tuesday), a three-disc set with all episodes from the fifth year of the drama about the lives of military families.

“Body of Proof: The Complete First Season” (Disney; $29.99, two-disc DVD; now available) with Dana Delany in all episodes from the premiere year of the ABC drama about a brilliant medical examiner. The extras include a featurette (“Examining the Proof”) with cast and crew members discussing the elements that go into making the medical footage look real and a blooper reel.

“Call Me Fitz: The Complete First Season” (Entertainment One; $39.99, DVD; to be released Tuesday) with Jason Priestley in a three-disc set with all episodes from the debut year of the DirectTV series about a substance-abuser trying to get his life in order.

“Good Neighbors” (Magnolia; $26.99, DVD; $29.99, Blu-ray Disc; to be released Tuesday) with Jacob Tierney, Scott Speedman, Emily Hampshire and Jay Baruchel in an R-rated chiller about three suburbanites reacting to a series of murders in their community.

“Hawaii Five-o: The First Season” (CBS Home Entertainment; $64.99, DVD; $80, Blu-ray, which is sold exclusively at Best Buy; now available) with Alex O’Loughlin, Scott Caan, Grace Park and Daniel Dae in a six-disc set with all 24 episodes from the premiere year of the crime-series reboot. The original “Hawaii 5-o: The Eleventh Season” (CBS; $54.99, DVD), starring Jack Lord and James MacArthur, is also available.

“Holly’s World: The Complete Seasons 1 & 2” (MPI Home Video; $29.99, DVD; to be released Tuesday) with reality-show star Holly Madison in a three-disc set with all 19 episodes of the E! series about a showgirl trying to make it in Las Vegas.

“Jake and the Never Land Pirates” (Disney; $19.99, DVD; to be released Tuesday) with seven episodes of the series in which watchers learn to talk like a pirate. It features a collection of music videos performed by a pirate band. The package also includes a seven-track CD sampler and a pirate eye patch.

“Zhuzhu Pets: Quest for Zhu” (Universal; $16.99, DVD; to be released Tuesday) with some hamsters embarking on an adventure to save their fellow hamsters from an evil reptilian.

Lou Gaul: 609-871-8055; email, lgaul@phillyBurbs.com

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